Current turbocharged automotive systems may be equipped with a Long Route (or Low Pressure) Exhaust Gas Recirculation (LR-EGR) system that defines an exhaust gas long route including a relevant portion of the exhaust line and connecting it to a relevant portion of the intake line. In such automotive systems, it is known that the simultaneous extension of the Long Route (or Low Pressure) Exhaust Gas Recirculation (LR-EGR) system usage either at high engine loads or at low engine temperatures poses contradictory requirements on the LR-EGR cooler design.
On one hand, the efficiency of the cooler needs to be low enough to allow a sufficiently early activation of the LR EGR system during engine warmup without incurring in water condensation inside the cooler (e.g., the gas temperature should be maintained above the corresponding dew temperature, for example T>55° C.). On the other hand, the efficiency of the cooler must be high enough when the LR EGR is operated at high engine loads to allow an acceptable Compressor Out Temperature (COT). In other words, during engine warmup when the engine is still cold, there is a risk of condensation in the LR-EGR cooler, while at high engine loads, the Compressor Out Temperature (COT) may increase over the maximum allowable temperature.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide an automotive system that safely extends the usage of the LR-EGR system both for cold engine conditions and for high engine loads.